Papa and I drove southwest 3 hours and 20 minutes on Sunday morning, arriving in San Sebastián just after noon. We checked into our hotel, then walked to the restaurant where we had lunch reservations. After a leisurely lunch, we walked along the waterfront, then took a siesta. We returned to the waterfront for a light supper and Basque cheesecake. There were lots of people on the beach and walking on the boardwalk. It was a beautiful Sunday!
There are hot air balloons taking off from behind the rugby stadium most Saturday mornings. There were five today. It is always fun to watch them, see where the wind will take them - south today, with a faint outline of the Pyrenees visible. I walked after breakfast and there are fields of sunflowers starting to open and turn bright yellow. It’s a beautiful time!
We were invited this afternoon to Alice and Gerard’s house at 4, for cake and champagne to celebrate two birthdays - their niece Cathey’s (visiting from Australia) and mine. Just before 4, Romain and Dominique arrived across the street, for the first time in almost a year. We were thrilled to see them! Gerard went right over and invited them to the celebration. It was a happy time for all of us, neighbors and friends, in Alice and Gerard’s backyard!
We went to a concert at Chateau de Flamarens this afternoon at 5. We met our friends, Kelly and Jean-Pierre there, and had a picnic in the garden after the concert. The concert was jazz played by a pianist and a singer, mostly performing songs written and made famous by American musicians. We had a very nice evening!
A couple of weekends ago, we visited the vineyards surrounding Chateau de Mons and had a picnic with friends. A crêperie was set up and the chef was making galettes and crepes for lunch, along with wines of the vineyard. We also visited the armagnac chai and museum. Armagnac was invented in the 1430’s and we enjoyed seeing the equipment and learning about the process. It was a nice day!
I turned 68 yesterday, but I’m celebrating all week! Papa and I went to the Monday night Market in Lectoure for crepes. Everyone sits at long tables, so we joined some friends for a bit. On Tuesday, we had lunch at La Plancha in Castet-Arrouy with friends. Our neighbor is the chef and lunch was delicious!
Wednesday was my birthday! Papa gave me a beautiful translucent pink vase that he bought in a local brocante shop. I had lunch with four friends at L’Atelier D’Auria. I spent the evening talking to each of our children and friends. I had a wonderful day!
After my walk this morning, I took a basket and went to my friend Susan’s house to pick plums. She has a large property, just outside the remparts of Lectoure, with dozens of fruit trees. We taste tested and picked our favorite plums. I made lunch when I got home, with a sheet pan of roasted plums that Papa and I ate with Greek Yogurt and sugared almonds. This evening, Papa and I went to our friend Deirdre’s house for fruit crumble and ice cream. Our friend Abby joined us. What fun to eat dessert for supper!
Papa and I joined our friends, Christine and Maurice, for a piano concert in Auch on Sunday afternoon. The pianist was Alexandre Dupouy, just 33 years old, and a celebrated pianist and composer. He performed at Église Saint Orens, built in 1825, with stained glass windows by Henry Guérin in 1968. The setting was classic and he played classical music. We enjoyed it! We walked to the square overlooking Auch’s Cathédrale for a drink after.
On Friday morning at 7, I met Deirdre at Fontaine Diane, and we walked to a local park with fruit trees. Plums were ripe, so picked a basket full. Deirdre climbed the tree! We had fun!
